Rowboat.



G. G. McDONALD.

ROWBOAT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 30, I9I6.

Patentd May15,1917.

GeorgeGMcfim l g WITNESSES ATTORNEY GEOBGEG. MCDONALD, OF ST. ESPRIT,NOVA SCOTIA, CAHAIJA.

ROWBOA'I'.

reac es.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, left.

Application filed October 30, 1916. Serial No. 128,551.

paddle wheel mechanism for propelling boats.

As the primary aim and object the present invention has to provide novelfoot operating means for actuating the paddle wheel of a boat so as topropel the boat in an ei'licient manner.

The invention as an equally important object contemplates the provisionof a foot paddle that is detachable from the motion transmitting meansto permit of the latter being actuated by hand and consequently permitthe operator to reverse the movement of the boat.

Among the other aims and objects of the present invention may be recitedthe provision of a device of the character mentioned with a view tocompactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the constructionsimple, the cost of production low and the efliciency high.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangementof parts will be appreciated from the detailed clescription below. whichis to be read inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a partthereof, and wherein 1 disclose a preferred embodiment of my inventionfor the purpose of illustration.

The preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich 1-- Figure 1 is a top plan thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged topplan of the mentioned transmitting mechanism,and

Fig. 3 is a detailed elevation of several of the elements of thetransmitting and actuating mechanism. 1

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the abovedescribed views,

to indicate corresponding parts. 7

Referring now more particularly, to the accompanying drawings I providea boat 1 of any conventional construction. The shaft 2 has itsrespective ends rotatably mounted in bearings 3 carried on the upperedges of the slde of the boat. Paddle wheels l, of any conventionalconstruction, are carried by the projecting ends of the shaft 2 and whenthe shaft rotated, the paddle wheels 4: will be also rotated andconsequently propel the boat.

With a view toward providing suitable means for transmitting rotarymovement to the shaft 2 I have connected a gear 5 to the shaft 2 andmeshed therewith is a similarly constructed gear 6 carried on a shaft 7.The shaft 7 has its respective ends journaled in suitable bearings 8mounted in spaced relation in boat and arranged so as to dispose theshaft 7 in spaced parallel relation with the shaft 2. -A bevel gear 9 isalso carried a by the shaft 7 adjacent the opposite end and meshes witha similarly constructed bevel gear 10 carried by a shaft 11. The shaft11 is arranged longitudinally of the boat and at right angles to theaxis of the shaft 2, the respective ends thereof being journaled insuitable bearings 12 also mounted in the embodiment of the boat. A flywheel 13 is mounted upon the free projecting end ofthe shaft 11. r

In order to rotate the fly wheel 13 and consequently rotate the paddlewheels a I have pivotally connected one end of a link 14 to the outerface of the wheel 13 by means of a suitable pin 15, which iseccentrically connected thereto. The opposite end of the link ispivotally connected by means of a pin 16 to the outer end of a footpedal 17 which has its inner end in turn pivotally mounted by means of apin 19 to a bracket 18 carried on the bottom of the boat.

The operation of the invention may be reviewed as follows Assuming thatit is desired to propel the boat forwardly the wheel 13 is engaged byone hand of the operator and its top pushed in a direction away from thefoot pedal whereupon the operator may. by continually depressing thefoot pedal 17 rotate thewheel in the direction of its initial movement.Consequently the gear 10 is rotated and be cause of the gear 9 whichmeshes with the gear 10, the shaft 7 is rotated. Movement is transmittedfrom the shaft 7 to the shaft 2 to consequently actuate the paddlewheel, by means of the meshinggears 5 and 6. If desired the pin 15 maybe released when the operator has beconie tirecl by using his foot so asto detach the link 14c whereupon the i in can be a' ain inserted so asto serve as a crankto rotate the shaft 11 in either direction and eitherpropel the boat forwardly or reverse'the movement thereofn;

As many changes could. be made in the I above' construetion and manyapparently widelydifierent embodiment of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, itisintendecl that allmatflter contained in the above description or u shown "in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted "as illustrative and not in'aI limiting; sense. I It is also to be, understood that the language usedin the following claims isintendecl to cover all of the genericanclspecific features of the invention herein described and allstatements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language,

inight be said tofall therebetween.

Having thus described my invention what Gopiesoflthis patent may beobtained for I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I i lVhat I claim is 2 A boat propelling means including a retatably mountedshaft, paclll'e wheels there on, a gear connected to the shaft, anothershaft, a gear thereon in mesh with first men tioned gear, another shaftarranged in 0perable relation with the second mentioned shaft, a flywheel on the last mentioned shaft, a pivotally mounted foot pedaLa linkpivotally connected to the free encl of pedal, and a pin for removably,pivotally and eccentrieally, connecting the free end of the link tothefly wheel, substantially as described.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G. 7

